Arizona Chickens

[nicollee]

I have lost yet another hen to the heat... thsi time my Sultan hen Little...
Next thing I know ill have no pets at all.

Hugggggssssssssssss....
No words can express, but I will send Healing Hugggggsssssss

 

[nicollee]

There's also a much smaller, skinny Thread Snake that's pink and almost iridescent. If you ever come across one of these DO NOT kill it. They eat termites and can't even really bite humans.

I was told these are called blind snakes... we had them in our yard one year...

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Blind-Snakes/

 

[DesertChic]

I was told these are called blind snakes... we had them in our yard one year...

http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Blind-Snakes/

It's my understanding they're essentially the same thing...just different terminology...tomato, tomahto, etc. Either way, they're friend, not foe.

 

[meetthebubus]

@Banaynaychicken sorry for your loss

 

[FeatherPugs]

@Banaynaychicken So sorry for your loss. I have older girls, 5-6+ years old, and they have died natural causes one after the other this year too. It totally sucks!

 

[cactusrota]

The one's that I had seen had a few reddish spots on the sides, and the horn part was almost like a light greenish-brown.

They seem to come in a variety of shades I've found. Some have very defined markings and really "pop", others are very pale with ghost markings that are difficult to see... and everything in between. It's very regional. But overall they all have those diagonal stripes and horn. They turn into those really big brown moths that pollinated the big night blooming flowers. Kinda like night time ghost hummingbirds.

 

[cactusrota]

I have lost yet another hen to the heat... thsi time my Sultan hen Little...

I think im done with chickens for the moment.

ill keep the 4 I have until I move out, and then im done until I can move somewhere that doesn't kill every pet I love and care for.

This whole loosing all of my pets thing isn't working for me....

loosing 4 birds in one summer, giving away all of my school birds at graduation, down sizing my flock, putting my dog down... Next thing I know ill have no pets at all.

Sorry to hear about that. This is why I'm trying to focus on heat tolerant breeds only, and am really focusing on the Naked Necks. I've lost three birds so far, one white cornish (which doesn't surprise me really), and two cockerels: a Barred Rock and a beautiful Black Australorp, because they jumped the fence and instead of using nearby shade would pace the fence trying to get back in until they died of heat stroke. I was bummed the most by the BA.
It's a sad thought, and will make you feel like a bit of a sociopath, but it's healthy to consider these losses in kind of a darwinism light. Any birds that make it through the summer are the ones you want to breed because they've shown to be hardier to our heat. Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[BlueBaby]

Sorry to hear about that. This is why I'm trying to focus on heat tolerant breeds only, and am really focusing on the Naked Necks. I've lost three birds so far, one white cornish (which doesn't surprise me really), and two cockerels: a Barred Rock and a beautiful Black Australorp, because they jumped the fence and instead of using nearby shade would pace the fence trying to get back in until they died of heat stroke. I was bummed the most by the BA.
It's a sad thought, and will make you feel like a bit of a sociopath, but it's healthy to consider these losses in kind of a darwinism light. Any birds that make it through the summer are the ones you want to breed because they've shown to be hardier to our heat. Just my thoughts on the matter.

There is no way that mine can jump the fence in their run. I have the top of it and the sides covered with those horse panels and the 2" x 4" wire fencing attached to it. Hubby did it like that to predator-proof the run.

 

[Banaynaychicken]

Sorry to hear about that. This is why I'm trying to focus on heat tolerant breeds only, and am really focusing on the Naked Necks. I've lost three birds so far, one white cornish (which doesn't surprise me really), and two cockerels: a Barred Rock and a beautiful Black Australorp, because they jumped the fence and instead of using nearby shade would pace the fence trying to get back in until they died of heat stroke. I was bummed the most by the BA.
It's a sad thought, and will make you feel like a bit of a sociopath, but it's healthy to consider these losses in kind of a darwinism light. Any birds that make it through the summer are the ones you want to breed because they've shown to be hardier to our heat. Just my thoughts on the matter.

See I just have mine for companion animals and eggs, my parents established the "no roosters, no breeding" rule before I even got my birds, so i'm just going down in flock numbers, getting less and less eggs, and digging more and more graves.

Ive never had an animal eaten before, they all live in 6 X 12 coop with a top section for roosting/egg laying/alfalfa.

I simply loose birds to eggboundness, heat, and mold.

 

[meetthebubus]

Because of the heat here that's why I've done a combo of things many might know or do this already but I'll list them here just in case I really feel using all of these measures will prevent heat deaths

1. Shade with bushes, canvas, and a open wood shelter
2. Big ice bottles which slowly melt so they can drink or sit near
3. Air conditioning during high heat hours
4. Ice chips before bedtime
5. ice in water
6. Cool water puddles where they can stand in, the mud cotes their feet too
7. Cool treats like watermelon or cold grapes
8. Misting system to cool ground and shaded area this also cools down the sand for their baths and they take dust baths there putting damp dirt on themselves which cools
9. Putting electrolytes in water